The dropped ball comment was in reference to the Featherstone game.
He was at fault at least 3 tines though sometimes in the tackle they were still not expected.

I'd still progress with him but Cas will pick him out now so has to improve to keep his place.
Walton is pushing hard and deserves a shot which will put pressure on 2-5

How did Ben Crooks get on?

If the pre-season friendlies are a guide, the following teams need to be worried about the coming season:
Leeds
Wigan
Saints
Wakefield
Hull KR
Widnes
Catalan Dragons

What really counts is the regular season. For instance, the first two games are the best guide. Like last year, where we were 100% and flying.

Or perhaps what really matters is how we progress and where we are in July.

Johnstone can tackle as good as anybody at the club, his problem is coming in to help out instead of stopping in his position which is on the wing, his task is to stop the opposition winger getting round him not be worrying about their centre, the sooner he realises that and concentrate on his specific task the sooner people will stop blaming him for his team mates defensive faults.

Don't think that you will win any prediction competitions with that prophecy.
We are all expecting bottom 4 but, not tailed off last (with just 6 points in the regular season)

If we are competitive and making progress, most fans will be happy(ish)

I don't think anyone really thinks we will be in the top 8.

Il say it as I saw it yesterday from the kick off we got totally dominated and bullied, cas line speed was fast with agression in the tackle every time. Every set of six we struggled to get out of our half and nearly every time we kicked they started the next set on half way and we ended up on our own line. We're playing in a mud bath a grind and we decide to send our light men in Johnstone Lynn and bjb who got creamed. Finn ended up running the ball in as a forward once cause no one was there. We look like wel concede every time on our line. Johnstone can tackle but can't defend he's no idea where to stand he got done bout 6 times down that side. The lads got promise and pace but he could end up demolised if it's not sorted. What worries me is we have no penetration no one to make breaks no pace. It looks like wel concede at least 20 a game so it's means we run in 30 to win any a tough ask

I don't think it's just Johnstone that can't defend, the whole team seem unable at the moment to stick to the defensive system. The inside defenders either don't know their job or they're lazy. There's far too many of them switching off and failing to pressure from the inside or at least close the gap created in the middle by the next defender sliding.

Johnstones positioning isn't good but I wonder if that's his over reaction to being left isolated on numerous occasions since he made his debut. He and the other outside backs have to learn to be patient and trust their inside defenders to do his/their jobs.

If we get the markers and the inside defenders doing what they're supposed to do then we can see if our centres and wingers can defend with some discipline and composure.
Then we'll see what Johnstones defence is really like and we'll see the weaknesses that need attention.

I seem to remember us discussing this exact thing regarding Ben Cockayne, I always think the winger is made to look a tool if his centre doesn't do his job correctly. There can't be anything worse for a winger than his centre misses a tackle and he looks a tit for coming inside to help out, usually leaving his opposite number alone.

. We never run onto the ball! How hard can it possibly to get people running onto the ball. The players don't stand deep enough in the attacking line and it usually results on them having to stop or be flat on their feet to receive the ball. Worries me that they have had all pre-season to sort this out. This isn't about being good individual players but a decent structure is something any super league team should be able to achieve.

Finally: offloads. How many times did Cas offload the ball? How many times did we offload the ball? It was boring rugby yesterday and it's been like that for all 3 games, I understand the conditions are bad but it didn't stop Cas throwing the ball about and scoring some brilliant tries.

Not going to single individuals out this early into the season but it will be interesting to see how we perform when it matters in 2 weeks time. Not sure I buy into the excuse of yesterday being a friendly. Surely on your last friendly of pre-season you want to be pretty much at full intensity and I saw zero. Cas certainly looked full of it.

I'm not for a minute saying he can't tackle hes getting himself in awkward positions all you've to do is trust your inside man to do his job hes reading it poor or the communication is poor with centre half back row. For me it's bad reads hes standing too far in and solamona stood on his chalk and skinned him. Just do your job and take the winger. It needs sorting now cause this has been a problem with him since he came into the team not a massive issue but it's turning into one

Did Rocky Hampshire play yesterday?

yes mate last 20 played Friday aswell

At the end of the day, what you are saying is that Cas are a better team than us.
Whether you know the basics or not, if the opposition line speed is as good as Cas, you are forced to pass under pressure and therefore do it badly. They do that to other teams too.

Playing together will improve our speed but we aren't just going to be Leeds in an off season. It'll take time to just be a good Wakefield.

Nice one, love to be stood near his dad if he scored against us! Be great to see him celebrate a Cas try!

Finn controlled the Leeds game and had a stormer....great signing etc...

Has an off game and gets panned now as not up to SL standard despite playing it for the last two seasons. Most games are won and lost in the middle as Avenger alluded to with defence pushing out..plus others talking about lack of yardage from the Trinity pack....we don't have a Wally Lewis who can win a game on their own virtually.

It's pre season guys and what it may show us is that Cas will be a top 4 team again this season.

Meanwhile Trinity were missing Mikael Simon and Scott Anderson who would be in the 17 every week. This would strengthen up the pack. I'm sure BS will be looking at his best 17 and players like Walton who is the size of a prop playing well at centre will be in contention IMHO.

Any injuries at half back though and we'll struggle.

Where did Walton play yesterday?

Lyne, Tupou, Gibson, Johnstone was the back lineup at first. I'd maybe like to see tupou on the wing and Walton in at centre for lyne.

has this sliding defence format cause confusion on where to stand, I was always taught as a winger make your man and really on your , as a was taught not always to commit until the player came to you or tried to go around you and make him feed to the winger in which you then can double up, are players in the middle condensing too much make the defence to much to do to cover on the wings

he set one up

we're definately not talking a round of ale here surely

I dont think anything was terribly wrong with the performance except that it was all just too slow. If you watched the leeds game where we played at a much higher tempo the contrast was clear. Leeds worked the ball out wide (as they generally do), but every time they did the defenders were there to snuff out the move and bundle the wingers into touch.
Against Cas we simply did not have the enthusiasm to get across quickly enough. How many Cas tries were milimeters from being hammered into touch?
It was generally a lack of urgency, that we conceded as many as we did.
Slightly more worrying was our lack of attacking threat , i thought Finns constant short ball asked no questions of Cas s defence.
We didnt have "fire in the belly" as the OP says and paid the price, hopefully when it counts we wont make the same mistake.

A view from the Wheldon road end.

Just a few observations from a position most of you were unable to see from, although some of it was obvious from where ever you were standing.

In the first 15 minutes I couldn't believe how easy it was looking. Your defensive line didn't seem to move up at all allowing Lynch, Jewitt, and Millington a 10 metre run before a hand was laid on them and then their momentum carried them further. Gale and Mcshane seemed to have been given the freedom of the pitch and yet from where we were stood some of your scrambling defence looked amazing when we looked certain to score. You seemed content most of the time to employ the 5 drives and a kick tactic. however on 2 occasions when you had set plays close to our line Finn seemed to be expecting runners who never materialised and this lead to 2 or 3 players arguing amongst themselves. (not always a bad thing) I wondered if that was why you then went back to the 5 drives ploy.

I think some are being a little hard on young Johnstone as he will very rarely face a any one else as fast as Denny.

For the last 20 minutes we had a back line of Monaghan, Crooks, Shenton, Denny, Rocky, and Gale. Add to that Luke Dorn zipping round the back and they'll test any one. Young Rocky got MOM against Fev but he impressed me more in his short spell against your selves, very cool head for a young kid and a lovely pair of hands that would be wasted at full back.

Some one earlier in the thread described the A and B markers as lazy well in those last 20 minutes you could substitute the word lazy for knackered as the whole team seemed to be shot.

Finally it may have been hard to see from the "railway end" but BJB looked very disinterested in the 2nd half and his kick returns were very half hearted and he just seemed to surrender to the kick chasers. Only a friendly I know but after the last few Cas tries the Wakey players were stood in separate little groups with their heads down rather than all standing together and talking to one another..

No doubt we'll all have a better idea after the league game when points are at stake.

id rather get it wrong in a rehearsal so im glad we lost gives us something to work on and then get it ok on the night when it matters

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Exactly! That's simply what 'friendly' games are.

Sorry my entry was poorly typed. I meant Walton has impressed so far and although didn't play yesterday may be in contention for a starting centre position when the season starts...

Lynne had a decent game against Cas didn't he? Scored a try and stopped a certain one on opposite wing hold one up over the line?

Still find it hard to understand why Wigan would loan Rocky Hampshire to Cas. Wigan and Cas will compete for a top four place, it may be that Cas finish in top 4 at the expense of Wigan, why loan one of the most gifted players of his generation to a team you are likely to compete with. Rocky would have been brilliant for us and we would never be a problem for Wigan.